Major Impact: A unique organization finds itself at a crossroads.

May 31, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

Back in 2013, Harrisburg had a first hint that its future might be better than its recent past.

Late that summer, the state-appointed receiver released a financial recovery plan designed to return some measure of fiscal sanity to the insolvent city.

Sanity came at a high price.

To pay back creditors, Harrisburg had to monetize two of its most valuable assets, the city incinerator and its parking system, to raise almost $400 million. That was the headline news.

Several other important elements were buried deeper in the “Harrisburg Strong” plan. One called for the creation of a new nonprofit, Impact Harrisburg, which would try to right another wrong created by decades of derelict leadership.

In Harrisburg, it wasn’t just borrowed money that financed such extravagances as museum artifacts, a sports stadium and a waste-to-energy experiment. For years, Harrisburg’s core infrastructure was ignored so that funds could be spent on one man’s fantasy of turning the city into a tourist mecca.

As the mayor dreamed and schemed, Harrisburg’s roads and sewers fell apart.

I remember the first time I drove into Harrisburg, off of I-83. The trip up 2nd Street was like the world’s least fun bumper car ride—vehicles meandering all over the wide road, nearly crashing into each other as the lane lines had long disappeared. I thought to myself, “Can’t this city afford some paint?” Turns out, the answer was “no.”

Impact Harrisburg was meant to be a start in repairing the broken capital city, in the most literal sense.

I bring this up now because Impact Harrisburg is at a crossroads. In 2014, the financial recovery plan seeded the nonprofit with $12.3 million, half marked for infrastructure and the other half for economic development—pots of money designed to help the city play catch-up after years of neglect.

Eight years later, those funds have been nearly exhausted.

Recently, I sat down with several Impact Harrisburg officials to reflect back on what’s been done and where the organization goes from here.

Board chair Gloria Martin-Roberts and vice-chair Doug Hill, as well as Executive Director Sheila Dow-Ford, were pleased with the work done so far. They rattled off a long list of achievements—from street repaving to sewer upgrades to grants that helped keep businesses afloat during the pandemic.

I knew about those projects. We’ve reported extensively on them, and I can see some of the roadwork just by looking out my office window.

But others were more under the radar. For instance, about $4.1 million went to fund projects for community groups like the Salvation Army, the Camp Curtin and East Shore YMCAs and Tri-County HDC for housing development. Other monies paid for playground rehabs, software for city workers and, most recently, a disparity study to determine how the city can offer more opportunity for diverse businesses.

For Harrisburg, these funds were critical, as the city has been cut off from the credit markets for over a decade, unable to borrow money. This would stagnate or sink most cities, but Harrisburg has experienced tremendous redevelopment over the past half-dozen years, including major work to main thoroughfares like 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 17th streets.

Much of this was seeded by Impact Harrisburg, which provided direct grants and, perhaps as importantly, attracted matching funds from other sources.

“We are absolutely on fire over meeting our mission and improving the health status of the city,” Martin-Roberts told me. “And, what I mean by health status, I’m talking about infrastructure and economic development because it all impacts on the health status of our city.”

So, where does Impact Harrisburg head from here? That’s the question at hand, as its initial funding has nearly run dry.

In a nutshell, they’d like to stay in business, focused on economic development. Indeed, the city may need assistance in this area, as its economic development director currently serves just one day a week.

“We want to stay active,” Martin-Roberts said. “We want to stay involved.”

To make this happen, Impact Harrisburg will need to find new funds. Hill mentioned several possible sources, including both private donors and city-controlled monies, such as Community Development Block Grant funds and a slice of Harrisburg’s $48 million American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“We are going back to the city and going out to the philanthropic community and saying, ‘Here’s a remarkably unique need and a remarkably unique position that we can fill,’” Hill said.

If its coffers were replenished, Impact Harrisburg could continue its economic development mission. This might include continuing its small-business grant program, its help for minority and disadvantaged businesses and its focus on training, education and identifying additional financial support for young and emerging entrepreneurs.

“The city is not equipped to do that,” Martin-Roberts said. “I’m not casting aspersions against them. They don’t have the people to do it. We can get it done, and we know we can get it done. It just makes for a healthier community.”

Impact Harrisburg was a novel idea born from a profound crisis.

Over the years, this unique nonprofit has proven its value in identifying critical needs and making a visible difference, whether in normal times or in COVID times. I also like that it employs the talents of some remarkable and dedicated people outside of government who want to continue their service to our community.

As I write this, the city is announcing its plan for American Rescue Plan monies. Ultimately, that’s up to the administration and City Council, with public meetings slated for this month. But a strong case can be made for re-equipping Impact Harrisburg, which has a track record of strategically injecting funds where they’re greatly needed.

Lawrance Binda is co-publisher/editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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Agnes at 50: This month marks five decades since the most devastating flood in Harrisburg history.

May 31, 2022 | by Dan Miller

The Governor’s Residence and surrounding blocks of Uptown Harrisburg were among places where rescue by boat was necessary.

The rain had been coming down for three days, and the Susquehanna River kept creeping higher and higher.

Eileen Young was home alone in the orange brick house in the 300-block of S. Front Street in Shipoke that she and her husband Bob had lived in since 1969.

Bob was working in Wilkes-Barre, a city also getting pummeled by Tropical Storm Agnes.

“The river’s really getting high,” Eileen remembered telling Bob on the phone on that day in late June 1972. “It looks really bad.”

He kept telling her it would be OK, but then it got to the point when it wasn’t OK.

Their house was just across the street from the river, but the rising water from Paxton Creek, several blocks away, got to them first.

Eileen’s brother came to fetch her.

“At that point, there was not even any chance to save anything,” Eileen recalled. “Like an idiot, I put my curtains on the windowsill thinking that will save them. I grabbed what was essential like some insurance records”—and the family hamster.

First, she went to her mother’s house, then that was evacuated. Then she went to her grandmother’s house, which also was evacuated.

Eileen ended up at her uncle’s house. Driving home from Wilkes-Barre, Bob couldn’t believe how far the Susquehanna River had spread onto the normally dry land. He drove all over Harrisburg in a Jeep to all the evacuation points he could find, eventually tracking down Eileen.

On June 24, the river crested at 32.6 feet, breaking the previous record of 29.2 feet set during the 1936 flood. Flood stage for the Susquehanna at Harrisburg is 17 feet.

Eventually, the river receded enough so they could return home.

“We walked in the front door of our house, and it was just like somebody dumped tons of chocolate pudding everywhere, but it didn’t smell that good,” Eileen remembered.

Water had risen to 8½ feet on their first floor, which was “annihilated.” Pieces of their furniture had floated up the steps.

At first, the city wanted to bulldoze everything, their house included. The Youngs and other residents of Shipoke fought back and convinced the city to allow them to rebuild and restore.

They didn’t have flood insurance, almost no one did, Bob said. With their own money and a low-interest, federal loan, the Youngs moved back in and restored their home over the course of about a year.

A Great Place

The Youngs’ experience was just one story of what happened throughout Harrisburg in the wake of Agnes, considered at the time the greatest natural disaster ever in the United States.

Thousands of residents and business owners lost much, if not everything, in the flood. Some left the city forever; others vowed to rebuild.

Now, five decades later, the Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) is devoting the entire month of June to what it calls a “Celebration of Resolve” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Agnes.

It’s not really about the numbers: 15 inches of rain fell in three days, property damage totaled $3.5 billion, and 118 people died along the storm’s long destructive path. This data has all been cited repeatedly. The month-long commemoration is about something else, said David Morrison, HHA executive director.

“The story of the recovery and the resolve to recover from Agnes is really what the theme of our activities this year are all about,” he said. “We’re not going to get carried away with how high was the water, and did [Gov.] Milton Shapp really get evacuated in a motorboat. That has been covered over and over again.”

Agnes is worth remembering because it was such a “turning point” in Harrisburg, Morrison said.

Harrisburg was in decline in the 1960s, with people fleeing the city for the suburbs. Following Agnes, the destruction was such that some observers even called for relocating the state capital.

But the calls to write off Harrisburg ran head-on into what Morrison termed a “grassroots urban pioneer reaction”—people like Bob and Eileen Young, who resisted having their homes torn down against their will.

The city agreed to allow people to fix up their houses. In other cases, the city sold homes it acquired for $1,000 or less, under the condition that the new owners commit to fixing them up and living in them, Morrison said.

The massive amount of rebuilding and restoration led to the creation of neighborhood organizations in Shipoke and Midtown and, ultimately, to the formation of the Historic Harrisburg Association itself.

Morrison also credits Agnes with leading to the creation of historic districts in Harrisburg, which now total 11.

The neighborhood groups and the historic districts helped ensure a consistency to the standards and regulations governing the unprecedented rebuilding effort. The historic districts also provided a way for property owners to obtain tax credits to assist in the rebuilding.

Agnes changed the path that Bob and Eileen Young were on in their lives.

“We probably would have moved somewhere else,” Bob said, had it not been for Agnes.

Instead, the couple became more involved in the city and with Historic Harrisburg.

“I got on the Planning Commission,” Bob said. “It sort of tied us to the city after we went through all of that.”

After rebuilding, the Youngs stayed in their home in Shipoke until about 2005, when they downsized to a row house in the 200-block of Herr Street in Midtown.

To Eileen, Agnes was a devastating experience, yet, in the end, a positive one.

“Our neighborhood grew out of that,” she said. “People became much closer. We now had a common goal to bring our neighborhood back. You can see that, after 50 years, it’s a great place to live.”

The Historic Harrisburg Association Resource Center is located at 1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.historicharrisburg.org or contact the organization at 717-233-4646 or [email protected].

After the Flood

This month, the Historic Harrisburg Association will hold several events, together called “A Celebration of Resolve,” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Agnes.

Saturday, June 11: A free community celebration, ceremony and picnic, jointly sponsored by Historic Harrisburg and the Shipoke Neighborhood Association, noon to 2 p.m., Riverfront Park, Shipoke.
Sunday, June 12: Second annual “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” garden tour, featuring historic properties in Shipoke and other Harrisburg neighborhoods. Tickets required. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, June 17 (3rd in the Burg): “A Celebration of Resolve: 50 Years after Agnes,” exhibit and open house at Historic Harrisburg Association Resource Center, jointly hosted by Historic Harrisburg and the Shipoke Neighborhood Association, 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Monday, June 27: “Fourth Monday” program, “Shipoke, 50 Years After Agnes; A Celebration of Resolve.” The devastating flood of June 1972 triggered the historic preservation movement in Harrisburg. Co-sponsored by HHA and the Shipoke Neighborhood Association, 6 p.m. Admission is free.

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Some Like It Odd: Oddities museum exhibits the wacky, the macabre.

May 31, 2022 | by Gina Napoli

Artifacts at Jeremiah Crow’s House of Oddities and Curious Goods

Sometimes, you find things in the strangest of places. Take, as a very good example, Jeremiah Crow’s House of Oddities and Curious Goods.

This unusual museum may share its DNA with the traveling sideshows of yore. But it’s actually located in an unassuming storefront in quaint Elizabethtown Square, where a town planner might logically plunk down a coffee shop or upscale apparel boutique.

You won’t find a carnival barker outside or a huckster inside trying to sell you poppycock. But, within its storefront of only 600 square feet, you will find a lot of strange displays that will make you wonder “WTF?”

You’ll also find a soft-spoken and humble host, because, well, it’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it? Owner Jeremy Crowther describes the eclectic collection in his oddities museum as “chamber of horrors and ‘Peewee’s Playhouse’ mixed into one.”

An impressive number of the bizarre collectibles represent a range of animal and human medical souvenirs. For example, a lock of Charles Manson’s hair and a stuffed, two-headed piglet share space in the display case with a can of Pringles re-purposed into an urn. The urn holds the ashes—drumroll, please—of the man who designed the Pringles packaging tube.

The movie “Freaks” from 1932 inspired several museum pieces, including Crowther’s most prized acquisition: a model of a carnival wagon handmade by sideshow performer Johnny Eck, “The Amazing Half-Boy.” Eck had a congenital disorder that prohibited his lower half from developing.

“He still approached life filled with humor, saying he never had a pair of pants to press,” Crowther said. “He was also a well-respected screen painter and created folk art unique to Baltimore.”

A handful of Crowther’s oddities have haunted backstories, like his monkey’s paw or the creepy clown doll with a murderous past.

“He hasn’t killed me yet, so I’m a bit skeptical,” Crowther said.

One eerie souvenir, a glass bottle found on the property of serial killer Edward Gein, disappeared in the museum for a week and reappeared a week later in the same spot. Let’s admire that one from a distance.

The artifacts representing the dark arts plant their roots into the grimier side of American folklore. Some are original works of art in their own right, incorporating skulls, Ouija boards, and voodoo masks tacked to the walls. Then there are mythical creatures of nightmares, like Grendal, Belsnickel and the Jersey Devil.

Surrounded by all the monsters and freaks, some visitors feel compelled to share their own encounter stories.

“Lots of Bigfoot stories, UFO sightings and ghost stories coming from around Pennsylvania,” Crowther said. “Stories from the other side, the darker side of folklore, which may or may not be true.”

To balance out the dark, several items have a lighter side that might appeal specifically to kids, like the Halloween masks, all the boxes of Count Chocula, and the description of the man who can fart on command, called “The Flatulist.”

In the gift shop, which is sort of plunked among the objects not for sale, kids can take home a few differently styled ornaments of squirrels wearing “tighty whities,” prank props to play on their friends, or an inflatable beard of bees.

Crowther is still figuring out what appeals to adults.

“I spent thousands on a red-haired giant from Lovelock Cave, Nev.,” he said. “But the life-sized cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito gets the most attention, and I only spent $60 on that. So who knows?”

Some Escapism

The museum spurs the same level of curiosity about the owner as the kooky objets d’art. After all, who would accumulate such an assortment of voodoo accoutrements?

Crowther’s path to Elizabethtown included stints as a patina artist, an ornamental plasterer, and an intern at a funeral home in Oregon. While on a road trip on the Pacific Coast, he visited Marsh’s Free Museum in Long Beach, Wash. Meeting Jake the Alligator Man served as the turning point in his story, inspiring him to collect oddities. By 2005, Crowther was a full-fledged collector.

He met fellow collector Mark Kosh at Kosh’s museum in Gettysburg in 2018. The two shared a love for “B” horror movies, historic oddities museums and Count Chocula. Kosh wanted to bring the lowbrow to the public eye, like the display featuring Abraham Lincoln’s last bowel movement. When Kosh closed his museum, Crowther acquired some of his displays.

“My collection got to the point where my home was a museum. That’s when I decided to unleash my curiosities onto the general public,” Crowther said. “The best part about having a place like this is meeting curious folks who have an appreciation of things outside of social norms. We can provide some escapism.”

Admission is free so that no one is excluded from visiting.

Crowther’s collection isn’t limited to sensing with the eyes. If you check out his website, you can sample his alter ego Jeremiah Crow’s disturbing oeuvre of musical compositions or his “Insufferable One-Man Show.” Categorized in the dark roots subgenre, the songs feature what the artist describes as “Appalachian murder ballads, stories of sorrow, and tales of horror.”

Jeremiah Crow’s House of Oddities and Curious Goods is located at 6 N. Market St., Elizabethtown. It’s open Fridays and Saturdays, 12 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.jeremiahcrow.com or the Facebook and Instagram pages.

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Mural Mecca: How Philadelphia became “mural capital of the world.”

May 31, 2022 | by Karen Hendricks

“Untitled” by Amy Sherald. Image courtesy of Mural Arts Philadelphia.

Chances are, when you think about Philadelphia, certain icons come to mind: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, soft pretzels and cheesesteaks. You may even hear a strain of the theme song from “Rocky.”

But there’s one more colorful symbol to add to the list: murals. The organization Mural Arts Philadelphia is considered the nation’s largest public art program, credited with creating the world’s biggest outdoor art gallery—with a tally over 4,000.

“It’s a visual treat to come into the city and see the diversity of the City of Brotherly Love reflected back,” said Chad Eric Smith, Mural Arts’ director of communications.

Just 100 miles from Harrisburg, Philly’s murals brighten every corner of the city, ranging from beautiful butterflies, scattered alphabet letters for children to discover, tributes to Philly’s sports teams and stunning abstract murals. In Center City, a soaring 22-story mural by the artist MOMO showcases his methodology for creating abstract design, using practical geometry.

Murals with a Message

There are even murals in nontraditional or unexpected places.

“A Love Letter for You: Brick Valentines on the Philly Skyline” is a series of 50 rooftop murals best seen by elevated train. Created as a collective, giant love letter, the murals’ words are not only from a guy to a girl, but from an artist to his beloved hometown. That artist is Philadelphia native Steve Powers, who also created one of Harrisburg’s murals.

Many murals honor famous Philadelphians: Julius “Dr. J” Irving, Smokin’ Joe Frazier, John Coltrane, Kevin Hart, Frankie Avalon, The Roots. Others are dedicated to causes: veterans’ issues, the impact of incarceration, the vital nursing profession and the soaring youth suicide rate.

Smith led me to a Center City underpass where two “Point of Triangulation” murals depict nine previously incarcerated people. To our right, under the words, “Once Stigmatized,” men and women are painted in plain prison garb. To our left, under the words, “Always Resilient,” the same people—returning citizens in colorful clothing—appear transformed.

“It asks the observer to question their own perspective on how people look,” said Smith. “While that can be a topic that’s deep, it allows for you to have a very visual and not antagonistic experience. Seen through art, what does it mean to you?”

And that’s been a primary tenet of Mural Arts Philadelphia since its 1984 founding—to use the power of art to inspire change in people and places.

“When a person is moved from the inside out, it’s more transformative,” Smith said.

Power in the Paint

Philly’s Mural Arts movement was birthed out of anti-graffiti efforts, “transferring the energies and talents of artists who were tagging, into public participatory artwork,” Smith said. Jane Golden is the organization’s first and only executive director—a position she continues to hold today, as the nonprofit, partially supported by the city, creates between 100 and 150 murals annually.

One of the city’s newest murals, dedicated in May, covers a long wall at Yards Brewery. The innovative “Electric Philadelphia” murals integrate colorful tubes of light into underpass art. “Cecil B. Moore Freedom Fighters” honors young Philadelphians who successfully desegregated Girard College in 1965. Currently, the Climate Justice Initiative is creating murals about climate change in the Lenapehoking neighborhood, originally Native American Lenape land.

“There are people whose lives have changed as a result of the artwork,” Smith said.

And he’s not just talking about you and me, visitors and residents. He’s talking about the artists and apprentices, many of whom express their life situations—maintaining sobriety, overcoming homelessness, being marginalized—through brushstrokes.

Taking the time to understand the complexities, issues and people behind the paint on the surface of each wall reveals deeper context.

Murals Are a Draw

Guided weekend mural tours along nine routes, on foot and via trolley, tell the stories behind murals in Center City, historic Germantown, South and West Philly. A self-guided tour puts mural stories in the palm of visitors’ hands, via smartphones.

“It’s empowering for people to choose murals at their own pace and have access,” Smith said.

Just text the word, “mural,” to 215-608-1866 to book a guided tour or access the GPS-driven self-guided tour.

“Visitors are often surprised at the number of murals we have, and knowing their stories adds to our arts and culture,” said Rachel Ferguson of the city’s tourism organization Visit Philadelphia.

While the depth and breadth of Mural Arts Philadelphia is staggering (more than 50 full-time employees; an annual budget of $13 million; 131 artists employed; 24,000 participants—all in fiscal year 2020), the city’s murals have far-reaching impact well beyond Pennsylvania’s largest city.

“We think cities all over the country can use it as a model, can see the power of the arts,” said Smith, who notes the organization has shared its artistic wisdom with city leaders nationwide.

Why have murals been so successful in Philadelphia?

“Jane Golden is probably one of the most tenacious people I’ve met, as far as holding firm to the belief that art ignites change,” Smith said. “Being the visionary she is, understanding murals’ value as not superficial but impactful.”

In a city known as the birthplace of America, freedom and independence, it makes sense that Philadelphia also birthed America’s artistic mural culture and expression.

“Public art can move the needle in our hearts and minds, and expand our thinking about the world. I tend to think the arts can foster empathy, which is sometimes deficient in our culture,” Smith said. “Jane Golden once said, ‘Art is like oxygen—it should be everywhere and available to everyone.’ And that has stuck with me.”

For more information on Mural Arts Philadelphia, see muralarts.org.

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June News Digest

May 31, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Proposes Use of Federal Funds

After months of consideration, Harrisburg announced how it hopes to use millions of dollars in new federal funds.

Last month, Mayor Wanda Williams proposed using the city’s $47 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to support low-income residents, upgrade pools and parks and cover public safety needs.

“It’s not every day we get $47 million to spend to make the city better,” Williams said. “The pandemic has taken so much from us in so many ways over the last two years. This is why it is important we get this right, right now.”

In total, Williams proposed using $42 million of the pandemic relief funds, saving the additional $4.6 million for future uses. Her proposal includes four spending buckets: $14.5 million to help low-income residents, $10 million for beautification, parks and recreation, $9.16 million for public safety and $8.8 million to reimburse the city for lost revenue during the pandemic.

Besides the money that would be used to pay back the city for revenue it lost during COVID, the largest allotments would go to creating an affordable housing program and constructing a water park in south Harrisburg. Williams has delegated $8 million for each.

“We feel that every dollar we requested is certainly necessary,” Williams said.

The affordable housing program would primarily seek to direct financial assistance to nonprofits and developers planning to construct and sell homes to low-income residents. According to city officials, organizations or companies would apply to the program and be evaluated based on standards developed by the Department of Building and Housing Development. The city hopes the money will help build a few hundred new affordable homes, according to city Business Administrator Dan Hartman.

Also for low-income residents, the city proposed allotting $5 million to assist homeowners with necessary home repairs and another $1 million to pay for delinquent trash utility bills. Another $500,000 would fund grants for small businesses affected by the pandemic.

“It’s always been my stance that the people of Harrisburg deserve safe, affordable housing, and this proposal would help that,” said Dennise Hill, director of the Department of Building and Housing Development.

The proposal to create a water park to replace the current Hall Manor pool would constitute another large chunk of funding. Williams said that the park would include a spray area, lazy river, slides, ADA-zero entry points, concessions and community spaces for families. Additional funding would go towards installing ADA-accessible playground equipment in city parks and for tree removal services.

With the funding for public safety, Williams wants to use $5.5 million to upgrade the public safety building’s HVAC system. She also proposed giving $5,000 bonuses, totaling $1.26 million, to police officers and firefighters, using $900,000 to upgrade radio systems for the fire bureau and spending $1.5 million to demolish dilapidated buildings.

The city plans to use the $4.6 million left out of the proposal to possibly cover administrative costs and to act as a buffer in case costs for other projects increase. It may also be used for additional projects, such as repaving city streets, Williams said.

The proposal will now go to Harrisburg City Council for consideration. Hartman said that the administration will formally present the plan to council on June 7.

According to council President Danielle Bowers, council plans to hold additional public hearings on the proposed use of the ARPA funding before voting on a final plan.

State Street Meetings Set

Harrisburg residents this month will get a chance to offer their input on a State Street construction project.

The city has announced three public meetings for residents to review and comment on draft redesigns of the roadway.

“What is clear is we need to give our residents more of an opportunity to voice their concerns on this project,” said Matt Maisel, the city’s communications director.

The State Street Rapid Response project, which began planning in 2018, broke ground in Allison Hill in April. However, only two weeks later, the project came to halt when residents expressed concerns. At a City Council meeting last month, city officials announced that they would go back to the drawing board for a redesign.

The city will bring new drafted designs to the public to gather feedback. Engineers will attend to answer questions and speak to residents.

The meeting dates and locations are as follows:

Wednesday, June 2, 6 to 8 p.m., Harrisburg School District Administration Building, Lincoln School, 1601 State St.
Monday, June 6, 6 to 8 p.m., Kappa Omega Fraternity House, 2020 State St.
Wednesday, June 22, 6 to 8 p.m., Harrisburg School District Administration Building, Lincoln School, 1601 State St.

The meetings on June 2 and 6 will offer residents the chance to comment on draft designs. After those meetings, Dawood Engineering Inc., which provides engineering services to the city, will use public feedback to create a single design. This will be presented to the public at the June 22 meeting, where residents will again have the chance to comment.

Additionally, the city announced a website that will allow residents to send in public comments.

According to Maisel, the process of taking public comment, redesigning the project and resuming construction may take only a matter of months. PennDOT must approve the new plan, as the commonwealth owns State Street.

To comment on the State Street Rapid Response project, visit www.harrisburgpa.gov/state-street.

Harrisburg Council OKs Apartment Building

A developer can move forward with renovating a long-abandoned building in Allison Hill.

Last month, Harrisburg City Council approved the transformation of a blighted building at 100 N. 13th St. into apartment units. Council voted in favor of the resolution 5-2, with council member Jocelyn Rawls and council President Danielle Bowers voting in opposition.

Radon Construction plans to renovate the 11,500-square-foot building, formerly the Church of God/Central Publishing House. The renovation includes creating 12 apartment units, which the developer said should rent for about $1,000 to $1,100 a month.

“I believe that would leave our residents cost-burdened,” Bowers said, explaining her opposition to the project.

At a previous council meeting, developers explained how they had to adjust the planned rental rate to cover the rising cost of construction.

Also at last month’s meeting, council approved a resolution to contract with an organization that will assist the city with gun violence prevention efforts. The Research Foundation of the City University of New York, on behalf of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College, will provide the service. The $210,000 contract is funded through a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The organization will study violence in Harrisburg, determine a strategy to address it and assist with implementation. The contract term is two years.

“I think it’s something that’s needed in the city,” council member Ausha Green said.

Street Name Honors T. Morris Chester

A street in downtown Harrisburg has a new, second name to honor local Black history.

Last month, officials unveiled the designation of part of Walnut Street as T. Morris Chester Way, named after a prominent figure in Harrisburg history.

“We are very excited to be celebrating this momentous occasion,” said Harrisburg City Council President Danielle Bowers.

In October, council approved the street name designation to honor the historic figure. The IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, which installed the Commonwealth Monument on 4th and Walnut streets, is responsible for the initiative.

City officials recognized Thomas Morris Chester on what would have been his 188th birthday. Chester was a Harrisburg native and the nation’s first Black war correspondent during the 1860s. He helped recruit Black men into the Union Army and gave a voice to Black soldiers fighting for rights and equality.

“He never backed down from a fight, and the city will never back down from memorializing him,” Mayor Wanda Williams said.

Chester is also recognized as one of the bronze figures in the Commonwealth Monument.

Walnut Street will keep its name, but, from Commonwealth Avenue to Front Street, it has gained T. Morris Chester Way as a second name.

Home Prices Strong, Sales Slip

Harrisburg-area home prices jumped in April, even as sales dipped.

In the three-county region, the median price of an existing home rose to $250,500, a sharp increase from $225,000 in April 2021, as sales fell to 628 houses versus 704 the prior April, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, the median price rose to $230,000 compared to $197,950 in the year-ago period, with total sales falling to 314 from 380 housing units a year ago, GHAR said.

Cumberland County had a median sales price of $290,950 versus $260,000 a year ago, as sales decreased by 20 units to 268 houses, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, the median price also increased, to $208,900 from $156,000 in April 2021, as sales held steady at 36 homes, according to GHAR.

In April, houses were selling briskly, with the “average days on market” at just 16 days, compared to 23 the prior April, GHAR said.

Mural Passport Debuts

Visit Hershey & Harrisburg (VHH) last month announced “Murals & More—A Walk of Art,” audio-guided tours of two suggested routes that highlight murals, monuments and art.

For the tours, VHH has developed a mobile passport that users can add to their phone’s home screen.

“When you walk through Harrisburg, examples of artistic creativity and collaboration are everywhere,” said VHH President and CEO Mary Smith. “We loved the idea of creating suggested routes that allow visitors to not only see a variety of artwork within a few hours, but also learn about the artists and inspiration for the work through audio clips on the passport.”

The free passport features location information about each stop, along with audio overviews of the artwork, monuments and museums. At each stop, passport users are encouraged to use the check-in feature. After 14 check-ins, they’ll earn an art-themed prize.

Smith praised the work of Sprocket Mural Works, a nonprofit working to enhance communities through art and the organization behind many of the murals featured.

“Murals & More” is the latest addition to a collection of VHH Trails and Experiences designed to package certain themes within the region’s many tourism assets in a way that makes it easy for visitors and local residents to enjoy. Other trails and experiences include:

Brew Barons Beer Trail
Chocolate & More Sweet Treat Trail
Adventure Trail
The Black Travel Experience

“Murals & More” may be primarily centered on free public art, but it’s designed to have a positive overall effect and economic impact for Harrisburg.

“Every project VHH develops is a piece of the overall tourism puzzle in the Hershey Harrisburg region,” Smith said. “By encouraging people to take part in a walking tour, they’ll be passing restaurants, attractions and other small businesses that can also benefit from extra foot traffic in the city.”

For more information, visit www.visithersheyharrisburg.org.

Summer Events Scheduled

Just in time for the warm weather, Dauphin County last month announced its 2022 summer events season.

“We are excited to be back in action this year and here to kick off the 2022 events series,” said Michelle McKeown, the county’s parks and recreation program manager.

The county has a full lineup of seasonal events, including their annual Jazz and Wine Festival, which will take place at Fort Hunter on Sept. 10 and 11. The event will feature eight bands, as well as wine tastings and food vendors. To kick off the weekend, the popular Jazz Walk will return to Midtown Harrisburg.

Dauphin County also has family-friendly events running all summer, from June 3 to Aug. 26. The Sunset Music and Movies series will feature performing arts organizations and movies.

All of these events are free and will take place at Fort Hunter Park Centennial Barn. Families are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a picnic basket. Food trucks will also be on site. Movie showings and live performances will alternate every other Friday.

Proudly PA! is another big event for the county, set for June 11 at Fort Hunter. The event will offer tastings from PA wineries, breweries and distilleries, as well as live music and food.

Other events include BrewFest on July 16 at Fort Hunter, Cultural Fest on City Island in Harrisburg on Aug. 20, Fort Hunter Day on Sept. 18 and Celebrate Wildwood on Sept. 24 at Wildwood Park.

“We wanted to make sure it’s a welcoming experience,” said county Commissioner George Hartwick. “We were intentional about pulling together diverse programming.”

For a full list of events and additional information, visit Dauphin County’s website.

So Noted

Harrisburg University last month announced a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace to support its scholarship program. Under the initiative, people will be able to purchase unique, HU-themed NFTs to help support student scholarships.

MASA Authentic Mexican Cuisine is slated to open this month in downtown Harrisburg at 316 N. 2nd St. Enrique Armas is the third-generation owner of the business, formerly known as Mexico Lindo, which ran as a popular food truck on Market Street in Allison Hill for about two decades.

OurBus is launching a new intercity bus route that will make stops in downtown Harrisburg, the company announced last month. The route begins in Slippery Rock and ends in New York, with additional stops in Pittsburgh, Breezewood and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.ourbus.com.

Susquehanna Soniqs, a Harrisburg-based professional e-sports team, will open a state-of-the-art e-sports facility on S. 3rd Street downtown, said Soniqs CEO Darren Moore. The LAN Center should open to the public later this summer as a hub for gaming in the area, Moore said.

West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland debuted last month after an extensive renovation, with the grand-opening weekend featuring a variety of film and live performances. The 82-year-old art deco-style theater had been closed since early 2018.

Whitaker Center last month unveiled the new PNC Innovation Zone, a 7,000-square-foot gaming studio that offers children 8 years and older the ability to learn about coding, gaming and related technologies The Innovation Zone also is one of the region’s largest Comcast Lift Zones with free public internet.

Changing Hands

Balm St., 21: Straw Family Trust to D. Boyle, $40,000

Bellevue Rd., 1945: R. Sheffield & L. Adams to 946 S 18th LLC, $64,900

Bellevue Rd., 2024: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

Berryhill St., 1425: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to D. Boyle, $49,275

Berryhill St., 1443: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to C. Wheeler, $144,995

Berryhill St., 1616: Rivera Realty LLC to J. de Grullon, $65,000

Boas St., 107: J. Kundrat to C. Michalopoulos, $182,000

Boas St., 1812: MidAtlantic IRA LLC & C. Raup IRA to Cooperwink LLC, $74,900

Briggs St., 253: 253 Briggs St. LLC to SJL Rentals, $140,000

Briggs St., 1708 & 1712: PI Capitol LLC to J. Stoltzfoos, $107,708

Brookwood St., 2450: V. Nauman to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $66,000

Conoy St., 104: D. Wolf to S. Miller, $175,000

Derry St., 1634: E. Bertot & N. Gaskin to M25 Capital Investments LLC, $144,900

Derry St., 2121: W. Zhang to Y. Rodriguez & J. Savendra, $146,000

Edward St., 260 & 3115 Susquehanna St.: C. & K. Gehman to S. Dunklau & R. Anzel, $430,000

Ellersie St., 2417: R. & D. Edwards to K. Tillman, $185,000

Forster St., 1917: T&E Property01 LLC to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $56,000

Forster St., 1934: M. Gillespie to S. Harrison, $90,000

Fulton St., 1420: V. & D. Poplaski to M. Dean & J. Kost, $130,000

Girard St., 735 & 737: Silver Maple LLC to DIMA Properties LLC, $110,000

Green St., 1616: Vandaleh Real Estate Associates LLC & P. Costa to Green Scapes Investments LLC, $140,000

Green St., 3007: R. & T. Speece to V. Agnone & M. McKee, $280,000

Green St., 3011: M. Palermo to K. Bajracharya, $265,000

Harris Terr., 2481: S. Hill to R. Bachrach, $95,000

Herr St., 1615: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

Hummel St., 343: A. Semanick to D. Montes, $66,000

Jefferson St., 2247: R. Rammouni to Louis Group LLC, $64,000

Kensington St., 2110 & 2116: M. & A. Robinson to NA Capital Group LLC, $60,500

Kensington St., 2261: E. & D. Ward to J. Scott, $50,000

Kensington St., 2314: J. Regalado to E. Brown, $89,000

Lenox St., 2001: We Buy PA Inc. to Global Reach LLC, $105,000

Lewis St., 323: M. Swilkey to E. Cotelo & C. Shell, $150,000

Lexington St., 2710: T. Lewis to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $80,000

Liberty St., 1428: Silver Maple LLC to DIMA Propeties LLC, $59,900

Luce St., 2361: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to J. Tobe, $125,000

Maclay St., 241: B. & J. Myers to E. & C. Onyewu, $85,000

Market St., 1404: San Pef Inc. to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $125,000

Market St., 1406: San Pef Inc. to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $125,000

Market St., 1600: Lucas Properties to SDFC PA1 LLC, $475,000

Market St., 1850: C. Texidor to R. Torres, $70,000

Market St., 1935: TLC Construction & Renovations LLC to TRYB Investments LLC, $40,000

Market St., 2046: R. Hood to Twelfth Root LLC, $82,193

Mercer St., 2426: A. & G. Kocevar to B&E Development LLC, $70,000

Nagle St., 123: F. Rubinic to S. Kramer, $186,000

North St., 1611: R. Taylor Jr. to D. Scott, $119,000

North St., 1819A: PA Deals LLC to N. Salgado, $120,000

N. 2nd St., 2986: Pennsylvania Commonwealth c/o Dixon University to Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, $4,560,000

N. 3rd St., 3017: J. Crossett & M. Hochstetler to B. & S. Sisco, $166,000

N. 3rd St., 3021: Innovative Assets LLC to I. & J. Vitale, $214,900

N. 4th St., 1727: R. Moss & J. Stark to E. Timothy & C. Moore, $200,000

N. 4th St., 2106: W. Martin to I. Folkner, $100,000

N. 4th St., 2114: M. Goldberg to W. & M. Hyatt, $90,000

N. 4th St., 2404: F. & R. Scott to D. Boyle, $46,400

N. 4th St., 3211: D. Cameron to Q. Loper, $140,000

N. 4th St., 3225: J. Wright to A. Ramirez & C. Barrios, $90,000

N. 5th St., 1706: J. Hawkins to A. & J. Norris, $200,000

N. 6th St., 3161: P. Freeman to D&A Homes LLC, $66,500

N. 12th St., 56: B. & L. Young to F. Velez, $90,000

N. 15th St., 1202: Y. Griffiths to 946 South 18th LLC, $55,000

N. 15th St., 1314: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to Chand Living Trust, $149,900

N. 15th St., 1340: M. Alvarez to M. Tornay, $87,000

N. 15th St., 1415: E. Mantilla to M. Gomez, $94,500

N. 16th St., 523: R&K Realty Group LP to 523 N 16th Street LLC, $50,000

N. 17th St., 66: Great Row LLC to Bond Wolf & Fox LLC, $44,900

N. 17th St., 80: Wofford Enterprises Ltd. to E. Mendoza, $62,000

N. Front St., 2701: Jonas Rupp House LLC to Dilks Properties of Harrisburg LLC, $875,000

N. Front St., 2909 & 2917: M. & S. Wilson to Benmarsh LLC, $1,400,000

Penn St., 1420: P. & K. Lopushansky to Hobbeze Inc., $40,000

Penn St., 1716: D. Rhodes to K. Bentz, $170,000

Penn St., 1828: K. & Y. Cunningham to Panda Real Estate LLC, $110,000

Penn St., 1925: G. & K. Capoferri to A. & J. Norris, $181,000

Penn St., 2119: Obear Properties to JJC Properties, $55,000

Penn St., 2427: M. & Y. Speece to M. Powell, $67,500

Pennwood Rd., 3209: M. Ramirez to P. Grove, $170,000

Pennwood Rd., 3212: M. Udit to I. Foye, $148,000

Radnor St., 642: D. Webber to Horizon Investments RE LLC, $75,000

Royal Terr., 125: El Pejano Trucking LLC to L. Almonte, $91,000

S. 13th St., 1432: R. Mosley to AP Properties Services LLC, $52,000

S. 13th St., 1443: J. & V. Pettis to K. Quinn, $125,000

S. 13th St., 1541: Y. Al Refae & H. Esmaeil to B. Muzirwa, $72,500

S. 16th St., 11: Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC to HTTRINH LLC, $87,000

S. 17th St., 18: M. Nichols to C. Peguero, $68,000

S. 19th St., 19: M. Goldberg to J. Antoine, $99,000

S. 19th St., 226: Great Row LLC to F. Galan, $68,000

S. 20th St., 624: DMA Rentals LLC to M. Ortiz, $90,000

S. 24th St., 704: C. Allen to A. Jacques, $68,000

State St., 1847: Bridger Investments LLC to Adom Investment Group LLC, $190,000

Susquehanna St., 1637: S. Henry to S. & N. Kelly, $115,000

Susquehanna St., 1703: L. Mayton & A. Quick to N. Hoy, $170,000

Susquehanna St., 2130: Zion Management LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $65,000

Swatara St., 2014: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to Chand Living Trust, $129,900

Sycamore St., 1622: T. Nguyen to C. Coronado, $150,000

Taylor Blvd., 30: JEG Properties LLC to Brethren Housing Association, $130,000

Verbeke St., 120: B. & L. Clemente to LanPro Properties LLC, $130,000

Walnut St., 1220: L. & E. Keefer to J. White, $119,900

Walnut St., 1318: C. Tatum to D. Boyle, $42,000

Wayne St., 1713: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $64,000

Whitehall St., 2050: Wheatland Restore LLC to T. & D. Smith, $209,900

Wiconisco St., 618: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Mentzer Gap Holdings LLC, $129,995

Zarker St., 1927: M. Baltozer to E. Ayala & N. Vogt, $50,500

Harrisburg property sales, April 2022, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Community Corner: Notable June Events

May 31, 2022 | by Missy Smith

June Community Corner

Summer Reading
June 1-Aug. 15: Swim into Dauphin County Library System’s summer reading program, with activities related to “Oceans of Possibilities.” Register online and then stop by the library to grab your summer reading grab and go bag, while supplies last. www.dcls.org

Free Shakespeare
June 3-18: Don’t miss the 25th annual “Free Shakespeare in the Park” event with “The Winter’s Tale.” The Gamut Theatre production runs 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg. www.gamuttheatre.org

HBG Flea
June 4: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. The mission of the HBG Flea is to create a platform for community growth by bringing artists, small businesses and patrons together. www.hbgflea.com

Tour de Belt
June 5: Capital Area Greenbelt Association hosts its annual Tour de Belt bike ride, starting at 10 a.m. at HACC, 1 HACC Dr., Harrisburg, and following the 20-mile Greenbelt trail. Proceeds go to Greenbelt restoration and maintenance. www.CAGA.org

Bingo
June 5: Join JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services for a benefit Bingo at Enola Fire Co., 118 Chester Rd. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and games begin at 1 p.m. Prizes include cash and gift baskets. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Food and drink will be sold separately. www.jft-rvss.org

Business After Hours
June 8: Mingle with business professionals at Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC’s free networking event, hosted by the Country Club of Harrisburg, 401 Fishing Creek Valley Rd., 4 to 6 p.m. www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org

Discover Herps
June 9: Young explorers ages 5 to 10 are invited to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 1 to 3 p.m., for the Kids Discover series on herping, the act of searching for amphibians or reptiles. See frogs, turtles and snakes up close and learn about what makes each one special. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Food Rally
June 9: Enjoy fresh, savory foods at the New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally every second Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. Grab dinner from area food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants, and enjoy shopping and special promotions at local businesses. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Film Fridays
June 10, 24: Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, will show “The Sapphires,” an Australian film, on June 10 at 7 p.m. and June 24 at 2 p.m. The film follows four Australian Aboriginal women, who become unlikely stars by singing for troops in Vietnam with the help of an R&B-loving musician. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Outdoor Movies
June 10, 24: Dauphin County Parks and Recreation presents “Sunset Series Movie Night” at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, with screenings of “Coco” on June 10 and “Raya and the Last Dragon” on June 24. The movies begin at 8:30 p.m. Bring a picnic or grab refreshments from the Friends of Fort Hunter concession stand. www.forthunter.org

Golf Tournament
June 11: JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services hosts its Annual Benefit Golf Tournament at Rich Valley Golf Course, 227 Rich Valley Rd., Mechanicsburg, starting at 7:30 a.m. Each golf package includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, beverages and food, with the opportunity to win a variety of prizes. www.jft-rvss.org

Bloom Festival
June 11: The Shippensburg Area Chamber of Commerce presents the 7th annual Bloom Festival, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in downtown Shippensburg. Shop for food, crafts, plants, flowers and local produce and enjoy kids’ activities. www.shippensburgbloomfestival.com

Volunteer Day
June 11: Enjoy the outdoors and help with park and habitat enhancement projects at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and work gloves provided and refreshments available. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Proudly PA
June 11: Enjoy the Proudly PA! Festival at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 12 to 8 p.m., with locally sourced food, live music and wine, craft beer and distilled spirits. Bring your own lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. www.dauphincounty.org

Book Signing
June 11: Laurie J. Edwards, author of four books in the “Unicorns of the Secret Stable” series for young readers will be at Cupboard Maker Books, 157 N. Enola Rd., Enola, 1 to 3 p.m., signing copies of her books. www.cupboardmaker.com

Pollinator Workshop
June 11: Kids ages 6 to 12 are invited to Penn State Master Gardeners’ “Gardening with Nature—Plant a Pollinator Container for Youth,” a hands-on workshop at the Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, 1 to 3 p.m. Students will learn how to create their own pollinator garden that helps preserve a healthy environment. www.extension.psu.edu

Cancer Benefit
June 11: Head to Bucks Valley Winery and Vineyards, 333 Meadow Grove Rd., Newport, for the 8th annual “Toasting a Cure at the Vineyard,” benefitting PA Breast Cancer Coalition, 1:30 to 7 p.m. The event will feature live music, cornhole, a silent and live auction and a pig roast. www.pbccbenefit.com

Spring Dinner
June 11: BBW and Admirers Central PA chapter will host a late spring dinner and meeting at the Glass Lounge, 4745 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 7:30 p.m. For more details, contact 609-870-8853 or [email protected].

Climate Convergence
June 11-13: Pennsylvania Climate Convergence will meet in Harrisburg for a three-day event featuring numerous speakers, a festival of art, music and theater in Riverfront Park, accompanied by a rally and march on the state Capitol and the installation of a 6′ Climate Countdown Clock in the East Wing. Click here for more information and a full lineup of events.

Agnes Commemoration
June 11-27: Historic Harrisburg Association and Shipoke Neighborhood Association host a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the devastating Tropical Storm Agnes flood. These include a community celebration on June 11, a garden tour on June 12, an exhibit opening on June 17 and a program on June 27. For more information, see the story in this issue of TheBurg and visit www.historicharrisburg.org.

Cleanup Days
June 11, 18, 26: Wildheart Ministries hosts “Love the Hill” cleanup events, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteer to work outside picking up trash, doing basic landscaping, helping with dumpsite removal or planting flowers in the neighborhood. Bring a pair of gloves, a water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray and any tools you may have. www.lovethehillpa.com

Juneteenth Week
June 11-19: Juneteenth will be celebrated with a weeklong series of events in Harrisburg, organized by Juneteenth HBG and Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg. Events include a conference, social events, a concert and a jubilee. For more information, see the story in this issue of TheBurg and visit www.ypoc-hbg.org.

Secret Gardens
June 12: Join Historic Harrisburg Association for the “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” garden tour, 1 to 5 p.m. Explore Historic Midtown and Shipoke gardens and outdoor living spaces, get landscaper and contractor referrals, and shop a vendor market.www.historicharrisburg.org

Jubilee Day
June 16: Jubilee Day returns to downtown Mechanicsburg for its 92nd year and the first since 2019. Enjoy vendors, games, carnival rides, festival food and more, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. www.mechanicsburgchamber.org/event/jubilee-day.

3rd in The Burg
June 17: Explore the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event, where you can visit and enjoy galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Juneteenth Free Day
June 18: National Civil War Museum, 1 Lincoln Circle, Reservoir Park, Harrisburg, hosts a Juneteenth Community Free Day with family-friendly activities, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attend an American genealogy workshop and presentation on local African American cemeteries, listen to a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, and witness living history. www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Art on the Farm
June 18: Carlisle Arts Learning Center and Farmers on the Square host “Art on the Farm,” at Talking Breads, 1619 W Lisburn Rd., Mechanicsburg, 3:30 p.m. Enjoy farm strolls, artist demos, farm education, live music, and local food and drinks. A silent auction will feature baskets and artwork. Tickets are $75 per person or $575 per table. www.carlislearts.org

Father’s Day
June 19: Take dad to Hershey Gardens, 170 Hotel Rd., Hershey, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., to celebrate Father’s Day, with free admission for all dads. www.hersheygardens.org

Flower Walk
June 19: Take a walk at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., to view fragrant water lilies, yarrow, white beardtongue, blue-eyed grass and common milkweed. Learn how these and other flowers were named and some of their uses by early settlers and Native Americans. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Nature Camp
June 20-July 1: Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, hosts Nature Explorers Day Camp for kids ages 6 to 8. Kids will learn about animal adaptations, explore aquatic life in Paxton Creek and enjoy a live animal presentation. The camp is held over two separate weeks; campers should register for one week only. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Jazz Party
June 23: Enjoy “Flowers & All that Jazz—A Jazz Age Lawn Party” at John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion, 219 S. Front St., Harrisburg, with live music, food, dessert, wine and beer, a specialty cocktail, raffles, croquet, music, flowers, mansion tours and more, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $60. www.dauphincountyhistory.org

Picnic Celebration
June 26: Perry County Council of the Arts hosts its 40th Anniversary Celebration and Membership Picnic at Millerstown Community Park, 110 W. Juniata Parkway, 12 to 4 p.m. Grab lunch from food trucks, take in live performances, have fun with kids’ activities and face painting, and hear from guest speakers and dignitaries. www.perrycountyarts.org

PA Flag
June 30: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to Curiosity Kids to learn about the design of the official state flag of Pennsylvania and create their own personalized state flag, at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. This event is included with general admission to the museum, but space is limited. www.statemuseumpa.org

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Celebration Restoration: Jubilee Day returns to the streets of downtown Mechanicsburg

May 31, 2022 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Images courtesy of Jeff Palm and Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce.

After a two-year hiatus, one of the West Shore’s most-loved annual events is set to return this month.

On June 16, Jubilee Day, known as the East Coast’s “largest, longest running one-day street fair,” will take place for the 92nd year in the heart of downtown Mechanicsburg. It was last held in 2019 then halted due to the pandemic.

“There’s anticipation around town now that we’re doing something that resembles what we’ve always known as Jubilee Day,” said Jeff Palm, executive director of Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.

“It may not look like it did in 2019, but it will be something that’s familiar and will give everyone a respite,” he said. “The world has changed in the three years since we last held it. It’s a stretch for some companies now with personnel shortages.”

Nonetheless, Palm said that he expects this year’s event will feature at least “a couple of hundred vendors” offering food, games, arts and crafts, business information, retail products, carnival rides and more. Past Jubilee Days have attracted as many as 70,000 attendees.

Palm said that the “whole area” benefits from Jubilee Day, not just the day-of participants.

“Jubilee Day is a chance for our local businesses to promote,” he said.

Friends & Neighbors

The first Jubilee Day took place in 1924. Mechanicsburg Mayor Jack Ritter, who was born in 1936, remembers going as a small child to the annual event then known as “Farmers’ and Merchants’ Day.”

“As a kid, I was excited to smell all the food there and to see all the new cars and farm equipment,” Ritter recalled recently.

In those days, the festival’s span was limited to Main Street from High to Arch streets, though it was halted for several years in the 1940s due to World War II.

“Back then, there were a lot of street vendors and picnic food,” Ritter said. “The car dealers all had their new cars on display, and the local farmers corralled their cows, pigs, sheep and whatever for display. Farmers also had their fruits and vegetables set up for sale all along the street.”

Ritter, a former third-generation owner of Ritter’s Tru-Value Hardware on Mechanicsburg’s Main Street, remembers his father, William R. Ritter, setting up Frigidaire appliances for display outside the store. As a teen, Ritter ran chainsaws for sale outside the business.

Today, Ritter said that he enjoys bringing his grandkids to Jubilee Day, where “they get to run all around.”

“I use that day as a proclamation that calories don’t count,” he quipped. “I enjoy the smells of the crab cakes, pancakes and funnel cakes. People get to see their friends and neighbors there, too.”

Annual Tradition

Jim Schmick is a downtown Mechanicsburg merchant who sets up a sidewalk sale outside of his business, Civil War and More, on Jubilee Day. He’s done so for most of the 21 years his shop has been in business on S. Market Street.

“Jubilee Day needed to come back,” said Schmick of East Pennsboro Township. “It’s always been an annual tradition for our family to bring the kids to Jubilee Day.”

Schmick said that he’s seen people “from all over the U.S.” peruse his sales on Jubilee Day. His shop specializes in Civil War books, videos, prints, ephemera and music, particularly focusing on area milestones that led to the Battle of Gettysburg.

For a 15th year, Palm is overseeing the event planning. He said that he starts planning right after the prior year’s event concludes.

For Palm, the biggest challenge involves logistics or “getting things in place,” such as arrangements for portable restrooms, visitor shuttle service, vendor placements, trash receptacles and so forth. In short, his goal is to provide “a safe and enjoyable time” for all.

“I still had color in my hair when I first started doing this,” he joked.

Jubilee Day 2022 takes place June 16, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., in downtown Mechanicsburg. For more information, visit www.mechanicsburgchamber.org/event/jubilee-day.

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June Editor’s Note

May 31, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda

Last month, Harrisburg received some stunning news.

It was about tacos.

TheBurg broke a story that the city’s beloved taco truck would be no more. The third-generation owner was trading in his wheels for a permanent, brick-and-mortar location downtown.

You can’t blame the guy. Eventually, we all put aside our nomadic ways and look to settle down in a place with a few rooms and a bath.

I personally delighted in the news, since the MASA restaurant (opening this month) will have extended hours, will be open in the winter, and will be near my house. And, like much of Harrisburg, I love their tacos!

But, even more so, I was happy that their storefront (316 N. 2nd St.) will be occupied again. Much of Harrisburg has survived the pandemic in relatively good shape, but it’s taken a toll on the downtown.

Due to fewer state and office workers, a stroll down 2nd or 3rd streets often seems like a lonely exercise. Yes, the neighborhood has come back a bit, but it has a long way to go to reach its pre-pandemic state.

So, this is an appeal, an appeal to visit downtown Harrisburg. There are some wonderful restaurants there, most still operating. Remember that great meal you had just before COVID hit? There’s no need to sit at home and reminisce—just come on in and take a table!

Since it’s June, that table might be outdoors. And, since it’s June, you’ll also find TheBurg outdoors, as it’s our annual issue focused on “summer fun.”

Within these pages, you’ll discover numerous stories about day trips, festivals and outdoors activities. We also toss in a little history, some arts events and a community feature or two.

June may be my favorite month of the year. The air is warm, and the days are long, perfect for a baseball game on City Island, al fresco dining on a city sidewalk or socializing with friends in your own backyard, late into the night.

Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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Sipping Surfside: Harrisburg Beach Club brings the shore to the Susquehanna.

May 31, 2022 | by Rachel Lindsley

Photo courtesy of Rachel Lindsley.

Sand? Check. Boat drinks? Check. Sunny, summertime fun? Check and check.

You may never confuse the Susquehanna River with the Atlantic Ocean, but the Harrisburg Beach Club is bringing as much of the shore experience to the capital city as possible.

At the point on City Island, you’ll discover a new hotspot where you can play in the sand[box], grab a drink, eat a meal and find a spot to relax with friends, with an unbeatable view of the Harrisburg skyline to boot.

Co-owners Bryan Donovan and Adam Maust opened the outdoor venue last November with a vision to provide a year-round, waterfront hangout spot for locals and visitors alike.

The cold-weather months can be rough in central PA, but, as the weather has warmed, the Beach Club has hit its stride. Swimming isn’t permitted, but, according to Maust, “we have sand, a beautiful view and live music for guests to relax, play and enjoy.”

The city’s beautiful, century-old bathhouse is the centerpiece of the Beach Club, which the business partners brought back to life as part of the venue’s construction.

“Before we stepped in, the bathhouse had been shuttered for more than two decades, and the beach was hidden behind a dilapidated area of the island,” Maust said. “We worked hard to bring this idea to life, restoring the bathrooms and changing areas for guests who would like to take in the sun while avoiding the water, since swimming is prohibited.”

The Harrisburg Beach Club is open seven days a week, from noon to 10 p.m. during the warmer months, weather permitting. Adirondack chairs and “comfort zones” line the lawn for casual lounging and to take in live entertainment—all free of charge. Patrons can listen to live music throughout the day as the Harrisburg Beach Club rotates artists and genres regularly.

“We pride ourselves on providing a space for local artists to play music,” Donovan said. “We have a broad selection of genres and announce the schedule weekly on social media.”

Only a few steps from the shore, beachgoers will find a bar serving specialty cocktails made with local Hidden Still spirits as well as Pennsylvania-made beers and wine. Want to taste before you buy? Harrisburg Beach Club also offers tastings of their partnered spirits on site.

For a more authentic beach day, parties can rent beach chairs and umbrellas just a few feet from the water. Reservations can be made through their website’s booking portal, where guests can choose a chair location and enjoy personal wait service from the bar and food truck. The owners also plan to launch an app reservation system that will guarantee groups a spot on the beach together, Maust said.

Around the corner from the beach, a food truck serves such savory items as Bourbon smash burgers, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches and Coney Island dogs. Starting this month, the food truck will be open daily from noon to 9 p.m.

The Harrisburg Beach Club is a family-friendly venue and even allows canines, if on a leash. Kids can play in the sand, eat some lunch from the food truck or from home and run around in the grass with Fido while adults lounge and sip on spirits. Children under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

“We have worked hard to create a free destination that anyone can come and appreciate at the most beautiful spot in Harrisburg,” Donovan said. “From parents to adult couples and even dogs, too—there is something for everyone at the Harrisburg Beach Club.”

The Harrisburg Beach Club is located on City Island, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.harrisburgbeachclub.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @HarrisburgBeachClub.

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Downtown Rebound: Harrisburg-based nonprofit helps PA towns envision a brighter tomorrow.

May 31, 2022 | by Norah Griffiths Johnson

Julie Fitzpatrick

For the past 35 years, a unique nonprofit has quietly been making a difference in hundreds of cities and towns across Pennsylvania.

Based in Midtown Harrisburg, the PA Downtown Center (PDC) is powered by a staff of urban and regional planners, preservationists and designers passionate about working with communities and community organizations to help them undertake strategic revitalization plans.

With PDC’s help, communities strive for such important goals as increased quality of life, sense of place, long-term sustainability and competitiveness.

Julie Fitzpatrick, PDC’s executive director, said that her greatest job satisfaction comes with helping communities progress in their revitalization goals.

“It’s not always about making it easy for them,” she said. “Sometimes, it might actually be about causing a ruckus because it’s about expanding and growing. But it really is about us helping them be the best versions of themselves.”

Fitzpatrick has been with the Downtown Center since 2005, assuming the helm in mid-2019 following the tenure of long-time executive director, Bill Fontana. During this time, she has built a national reputation as an expert in community revitalization and development, with a knack for connecting with people and helping communities and towns re-discover their own personal brand of magic.

Todd Vander Woude, executive director of Harrisburg’s Downtown Improvement District, said that he has worked with Fitzpatrick and PDC for many years.

“Julie has great knowledge of downtowns and other Pennsylvania communities,” he said. “She’s so easy to talk to and is great at connecting communities to help them solve issues.”

He then added, with a chuckle, “And she knows and remembers everything.”

Host of Services

At its core, PDC is a membership organization. Member communities can tap into a host of network-based meetings and educational opportunities—anything from governance training, financial review processes, partnership building, volunteer development and preservation basics to zoning, budgeting and events.

While communities don’t have to be members to work with PDC, the benefits are persuasive.

“Once you engage in what we offer, it’s just such a host of services and offerings that I really can’t imagine doing this sort of work and not plugging into us,” Fitzpatrick said. “It just helps so much.”

Due to the long-game nature of most community improvement efforts, the field is not for the fickle or faint of heart. Later this month, close to 300 people who have chosen to undertake this difficult work will convene at the Hilton Harrisburg for PDC’s annual conference and 35th anniversary celebration.

Vander Woude, who sits on this year’s conference planning committee, shared his excitement about the event.

“It means a lot to have the conference come here,” he said. “Harrisburg has a great story to tell. The city is really walkable, so we’ll be highlighting some great projects and can’t wait to share ideas and really tell the story of what we’re all about in Harrisburg.”

In addition to the many conference sessions scheduled and an awards dinner, attendees can take advantage of mobile workshops highlighting the city’s various redevelopment projects, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, murals, rain gardens and stormwater management solutions.

Garry Gilliam, founder and CEO of the Bridge Ecovillage (and a Harrisburg native and former Seattle Seahawk) will deliver the opening keynote on the critical role of investing in urban communities to achieving sustainability targets.

Author Philip J. Merrill, CEO and founder of Nanny Jack & Company, an African American heritage consulting business, will present a breakfast keynote titled, “Telling the Fuller Story.”

Wednesday’s closing luncheon will include a panel discussion by the 2022 gubernatorial candidates.

The PA Downtown Center’s tagline long has been, “Helping you make your town a better place.” In our conversation, Fitzpatrick stressed the community-based, ground-up approach critical to success in revitalization efforts.

“Most people who enter this field want to make a difference,” she said. “It’s not about the individual or their ego. It’s about collaboration, relationship building, incremental progress and patience. But with this type of work, you really do get out of it what you’ve put into it.”.

The Pennsylvania Downtown Center is located at 1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.padowntown.org or phone 717-233-4675.

The Pennsylvania Downtown Center’s 2022 conference and 35th anniversary celebration takes place June 26 to 29 at the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For conference details, visit www.padowntown.org/conference. Readers of TheBurg can use the code BURG22 for 50% off the conference’s day registration rate.

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